A Very Troubled Young Man
by Swoff
Summary: After Jackson's job is done, he must tell Lisa the truth to make her feel less pathetic.


Jackson Rippner loved his job. He loved the look of perplexity in his victim's eyes and although he did not take pleasure in killing, playing with their minds was the most interesting part of his jobs.

Lisa was one particularly interesting victim. She still did not seem to believe he was being serious… and Jackson loved that.

He smiled calmly at his poor little hotel manager—so weak, so unaware of what she was dealing with. Jackson would love to tell her of all his previous jobs, the horrible things he had done. Maybe then he would catch her attention.

"Why are you doing this?" Lisa asked suddenly, incapable of looking at him in the eyes. "We were having a nice conversation… we were fine! Now all of a sudden you turn to me and say you are kidnapping me? I find it hard to believe."

Jackson's smile broadened and he pulled Lisa's face towards his. "Why, that is part of what I do, Lisa. You were supposed to trust me unconditionally before I dared making any serious moves." He sighed melodramatically, pouting. "Or did you really think the sexy man you met so suddenly was really your soul mate? That you were '_meant to be'_?"

Lisa pulled her face away, turning her attention to the dark sky outside her window.

"Is that a 'yes'?"

"No!" Lisa said abruptly. "I never really liked you in the first place."

"Lisa! Hasn't daddy taught you lying isn't lady-like?" Jackson chuckled. "That daddy of yours is pathetic. Maybe you should just let him _die_, right?"

Lisa remained quiet for a moment to gather her thoughts. She then turned to Jackson looking more determined than before.

"You were right, I did believe we could be a couple and I was glad for sitting beside you," she said. "And it would be unfair if I said I didn't keep any of those feelings of before—It's been five _minutes_! Do you know what I feel like doing right now, Mr…?"

"Jackson Rippner," he said, with another fake smile.

"Do you know what I feel like doing right now, Mr Jackson Rippner?" she asked, shifting on her seat. "I would untie my safety belt, jump on top of you, kiss your pouty, moist lips and fuck you right in front of that bitch a few seats in front of us!"

Jackson's jaw dropped and he crooked his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"Exactly what you heard, Rippner," Lisa sighed. "Too bad we are enemies now."

Jackson could not believe what he was hearing. Was the lady really that desperate? Was she daring to try and take control of the situation? Lisa was taking him for a low-class hit man or something of the like. She had no idea who she was dealing with, the poor creature. Jackson would have to go a little rougher on her, just to make sure she knew her place.

"Oh. It would be too bad either way," Jackson shook his head. "I'm simply not attracted to you in any way. Your body? Saggy. Your personality? Uninteresting. Your brains? Overrated. I don't _go_ for women like you, Lisa, who waste their lives working a job they deem right for them and not pursuing their actual dreams."

Lisa opened her mouth to complain when Jackson intervened—he wasn't done yet. When he decided he would make one feel like crap, he went all the way.

"Don't tell me you wanted to be a hotel manager when you grew up! That is really the most unusual dream," Jackson nodded. "Yes, most unusual. I, for one, always wanted to do justice. When I realised neither the police nor the law could not provide me that, I chose a wiser path."

"What? You became a hit man?" Lisa mocked.

"No. I decided to play with people's wits—of ignorant people, like you Lisa."

Lisa was slowly crumbling, he could see that in her face. She didn't look only depressed now; she was really thinking of what Jackson had said. Lisa's eyes, which were already filled with tears before, now ran down her cheeks and landed on her chin. But she would not try to wipe them. She did not care enough.

"But I don't blame you for what you have become," he shook his head. "It is all your daddy's fault. He couldn't do the right thing for his daughter and now you have to pay the price."

Jackson reached for the phone and handed it to Lisa.

"Make the call and let me then set you two free," Jackson said. "Then you are off to do whatever you think is the right thing."

"You disgust me." Lisa picked the phone and dialled.

A minute or so later, it was done. The rooms had been successfully switched and Jackson felt proud of another well done job.

"There, happy now?" Lisa lowered on her seat, wiping her tears with the back of her sleeve.

"Very happy, Lisa," Jackson admitted. "And you?"

"You dare asking how I feel? Hypocrite."

"It really wasn't my intention to make you feel bad, it's just my job and you've got to understand that," Jackson lied. "Do you think you would have cooperated so nicely if I hadn't forced you to question your principles? My job would have been much harder, that I can assure you."

"So you just, like, destroy everything that matters for a person and then apologise?" Lisa bit her lower lip. "I don't see why I should forgive you."

"What hurt you most, Lisa? When I said you were not my type of woman, I suppose?"

Lisa nodded just as he had expected. Her kind of woman was too predictable.

"I'm so sorry. It really isn't your fault," Jackson explained, taking Lisa's hand into his own. "I am a very complicated man, you know."

"Complicated? You? I've seen worse," she admitted, pulling her hand away.

Jackson raised the arm rest that separated their seats and approached Lisa. Their bodies now touching, he ran an arm over he shoulder and puller he closer to him. Jackson cupped her chin and moved even closer.

"It is not your fault," he said.

"How so?" Lisa asked.

Jackson pressed his lips against Lisa's on a plain kiss. When they parted, Jackson smiled one of his bittersweet smiles.

"I'm gay."


End file.
